1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of information systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to a system and method for automatically loading programming data of a show to be recorded without manually inputting similar data through a timer screen.
2. Description of Art Related to the Invention
Over the last few years, there has been a growing demand for home entertainment systems working in conjunction with various types of broadcasting systems. One type of home entertainment system includes a broadcast satellite system including a digital satellite system (DSS). Normally, DSS comprises an antenna, an integrated receiver decoder (IRD) and a television receiver (TV). Also, the DSS may include an analog video cassette recorder (VCR) to receive analog data for recording purposes. The operations of the IRD are controlled by a remote control.
The antenna receives and routes digital bit streams to the IRD. A digital bit stream includes video, audio and programming data for each broadcast channel capable of being received by DSS. Programming data associated with a show (e.g., a television program, pay-per-view movie, etc.) includes its show title, start-time, end-time, broadcast channel number, and date of broadcast. The programming data is periodically updated and stored within the IRD and the prior programming data is deleted. The IRD further stores data for timed recordings. This data consists of a start-time, end-time, channel and date of a desired show to be recorded. IRD periodically accesses the data to determine whether it should tune to a channel and process the digital bit stream into analog signals recognized by the analog VCR.
Upon receiving a first command from the remote control, the IRD generates an "electronic guide screen" featuring programming data for each broadcast channel capable of being received by DSS. Thereafter, the electronic guide screen is displayed on the TV as shown in a preferred embodiment in FIG. 1.
Similar to the format of a television guide publication, the electronic guide screen 100 features a vertical border 110 and a horizontal border 120 displaying time intervals usually in one-half hour increments. The vertical border 110 may include information content (e.g., all available channels sorted in numerical order by its broadcast channel number) or no information content. Each show is assigned to a horizontal show grid 130. The vertical positioning of each show grid 130 is based on its broadcast channel number (as shown), or the spelling its show title if alphabetical ordering is preferred. The length and horizontal positioning of each show grid 130 is based on its start-time and end-time. Thus, the duration of the particular show is ascertained by locating its assigned show grid and calculating its duration using the time intervals in the horizontal border 120. The electronic guide screen 100 may be arranged to display current-broadcast shows 140 as well as shows 150 to be broadcast in the future (referred to as "future-broadcast shows").
In order to load the data for timed recordings into the IRD, the user needs to exit the electronic guide screen and depress one or more buttons on the remote control until a set timer screen is displayed on the TV. As shown in
FIG. 2, the set timer screen 200 requires certain data to be entered in order to automatically prepare the IRD to tune to a show for recording by an analog VCR; namely, a recording interval (one-time record, daily, or weekly) 210 corresponding to the day in which the desired show is broadcast, start-time 220, end-time 230 and broadcast channel number 240. This data must be loaded by the user manually depressing buttons. Noticeably, this data is identical to some programming data associated with the desired show.
Recently, it has been realized that this programming scheme is disadvantageous because it requires substantial interaction by the user after viewing the electronic guide screen; namely, selecting the set timer screen and manually inputting data. This programming scheme is grossly antiquated and it unnecessarily increases the possibility that the user will mistakenly enter data which differs from the programming data. This may cause the user to record the wrong show or only record a portion of the desired show. Hence, it would be advantageous to develop a mechanism to mitigate the possibility of user input error.